Gardening in North Otago September 11th 2018

"Spring makes it's own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer."~

G. B Charlesworth.

North Otago is looking so pretty after some nice sunny days, masses of lovely blossom and daffodils everywhere. 

 lavenders: I have removed a lot of old stalky lavenders that were on their final chance to thrive last growing season. English lavenders eventually get leggy and past it, don't nurse them thinking they will come back because they will probably not, dig them out and replace with new fresh plants.

I looked around the garden for plants to make an edge to take place of where a row of lavender had been, I have new lavender plants now in the spot but they are as yet tiny. I found just the thing, a large clump of lambs ear growing in my rockery which had doubled in size, I dug half of it out and broke it up into single plants. Silver is a perfect shade to use as a break between strong and soft shades and will grow in sun or semi shade, lambs ear also has the added bonus of being an interesting texture.  

Roses are really leafing up now and the warmer it becomes the more aphids ( green fly) will be about, aphids settle on the top new growth of rose bushes and are easily visible on new small leaves for you to dispose of by removing with finger and thumb. I leave spraying until leaves are well grown and have hardened up a little.
Ponds: This week I have been working on my ponds,over flowing them and cleaning out leaves. Water lillie's, oxygen weed and water iris's are starting to make a move. I have a few of the yellow bog iris to remove before they take over as they tend to with it's mat forming roots ( don't plant yellow bog iris in a domestic pond) The place for this iris is along the banks of a creek, the fibrous roots are fantastic at holding the sides back from erosion. Don't be tempted to add bull rushes to a domestic pond either, they also spread too quickly.   

Pruning: Now the sap is up, I have been removing unwanted growth from prunus trees, (flowering cherry) it has been said that this is the best time to make cuts in prunus to avoid the spread of silver leaf which can spread from tree to tree while in the dormant stage. Cut out  any weak growth and cross over branches before they grow thick.  Always make sure your pruning equipment is cleaned from one tree to the next, methylated spirits is good for doing this and never prune like this on a dull damp day, this will spread silver leaf, pick a bright sunny day.

Kilmarnoch willow: this is the ornamental pussy willow used so often now in small gardens. Cut out all dead branches from beneath,  Each new branch grows out from a bud of last years growth. All subsequent years growth dies and builds up under the new growth. These grafted weeping tree's are much nicer to look at with all those dead branches removed and it is easier to do this when bare of leaves. If left they becomes top heavy and can fall over after rain has softened the ground.

Lawns: benefit greatly from an early spring feed of lawn fertiliser but this works best with rain to wash it in. Aerating and de-thatching can be done this month, aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes in compacted lawns to allow air, water and nutrients to reach grass roots. During the growing season is the best time for aeration and de-thatching then grass can heal and fill any gaps. 

1. Vegetables:The soil is warming up as sun is staying around longer so this is a busy time for gardeners who will be sowing, planting and fertilising their edible gardens. Get pumpkin, butternut , squash and corn seeds started now under protection, they need a long warm growing season to grow and ripen.

keep planting leafy veg as there are still no white butterflies about. As an early season deterrent start spraying fish emulsion on both veg and flowering plants, this will feed plants and repel pests by fooling them into thinking their favorite food is now protein not vegetable. Have some ready in a spray bottle to repeat after rain.

Once seed potatoes have sprouted get them in the ground. Our Weston School caretaker supplied our Children's garden  with cut down car Tyre's last year to fill with the fantastic compost he makes to plant out in potatoes, we had good crops. Four seed potatoes in each Tyre and once leaves appear another Tyre is placed on top and filled with more compost, four more potatoes are planted in this Tyre to keep the growing conditions warmer than the ground. When grown we will have 5 x two Tyre's high of new potatoes.

Fruit: All deciduous fruit trees can still be planted in September while the plants are just coming out of dormancy. A wide selection will be available in garden stores now.  All fruits require a position in full sun, sheltered from prevailing winds is preferable. Spray stone fruit trees on bud burst with Super Copper to protect from leaf curl disease. 

After fruiting take the height down on fruiting cherries and plum trees if they have grown beyond picking height as they tend to fruit on the top branches.   

Strawberries: will do well with a dressing of feriliser specifically formulated with extra potassium, I am sure there will be one on offer especially for strawberries, old stable manure is beneficial as well. All other berries on offer should be planted now to settle in to a season of fruiting.

Citrus: If you need to prune a citrus tree do it now, avoid doing so in summer as this is when citrus borer is active and pruning increases their vulnerability. If breakages in summer make pruning necessary, ensure you quickly cover up the cut with a pruning paste.  

Cheers, Linda.